Parachute apparatus



June 27, 1939. W .TE ET 2,164,130

PARACHUTE APPARATUS Filed Aug. 5, 1936 Har 131d E.Ha gars E eurge Waite ATTORN EYS.

INVENTOR.

Patented June 27, 1939 UNITED sures PATENT ormes PARACHUTE APPARAIUS Application August 5, 1936, Scxial No. 94,470

7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in parahute apparatus;

The primary object of this invention is the provision of improved parachute apparatus including a saiety harness which may be so placed upon the body of a. wearer that it is practicaily impossible for the wearer to become dislodged from the harness. It sometimes happens due to eccentric load shock occurring at the time of opening of the parachute that the. harness partiall3 or completely slips oi of the wearer. T0 obviate this the present harness has the. straps so arranged that it is impossible for the harness to slip off of the wearers body.

A iurther object of this invention is the provision of an improved harness of the single point release type.

A further object of this invention is the provision of improved means for the attachment of an emergency pack to a parachute harness.

A further object of this invention. is the provision of a harness which is adjustable to suit the stature of the wearer, and includes adjustable coupling means which may be arranged on the harness, according to the stature of the wearer, so that an emergency pack-may be coupled in proper position upon the harness, with facility.

Other objects and advantages of this invention Will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawlng, forming a part of this specification, wherein for the purpose of illustration are shown preferred and modified forms of the invention,

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the improved harness upon a wearer.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the improved harness and pack of the type which is attached to the harness while the latter is worn by the aviator.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the improved harness as adapted for use with a detachable emergency pack.

In the drawing, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter A may designate a harness adapted for use with an attached pack F. B is a similar harness for use v vith a detachable pack et the type shown in application Serial No. 134,109, filed Mar. 3, 1937. D and E are diierent forms of quick release fasteners or fittingsused With the single point release type of harnesses A and B.

In the main the harnesses A and B are of identical construction except that harness A is used with an attached pack and the harness B is used with a detachable emergency type of pack. The latter type of harness, as has been set -forth in U. S. Patent #1,953,fi00, may be worn by the aviator independent ci the pack, and the latter may be used when the emergency arises.

The harnesses A and B each includes a supporting sling 3l! consisting of double webbing stitched together and providing a scat portion 34 and vertical riser webs 32 and 33. In the form of harness A the riser webs 32 and 33 are continued rearwardly of the wearer at 32 and 33 in suspension fines which extend into the pack F, where they are connected to the shroud lines of the parachute in the well known man ner. The container of the pack F is preierably connected to the scat portion 3! of the harness in an improved manner to be subsequently described. In the form of harness B the suspension fines 32 and 33" are extended forwardly upon the harness in amanner to be subseqnently described, and at their extremities are provided with coupling parts M which may be of any approved type, but in the present instance are snap fasteners which are releasably held in postion similar to the manner disciosed in U. s. Patent #2,016,23fi, but in a modified manner which wiil be herenaiter described.

At the shoulders of the harness the riser webs 32 and 33 are provided with adapters 3'! and 313, by means of which the straps are held in position so that the harness may be adjusted to fit the stature of the wearer. These adapters 31 and 38 are of the double slot type, that is, a central bar is provided and the webbing or straps of the harness may be threaded through either or both of the slots around the cross bar. In the present form of harness the riser webs 32 and 33 are threaded through only the front or upper slot of the adapters so that the adapters may be readily slid therealong.

Each of the harnesses A and B includes a pair of crossed back straps 40 and M which are connected in a fixed stitched relation between the layers of the U-shaped supporting sling on the riser webs 32 and 33 respectively just above the scat portion 3l. These straps 43 and 4l extend upwardly across the back of the wearer and are crossed in the middle of the back of the wearer in a slidable 100p adjustment," as shown at 42 in Figure 2 of the drawing. They respectively continue over the shoulders ci the wearer and are threaded through bath slots ocf the aadpters 38 and 31 respectively, that is, they extend through botn slots of each adapter, around the cross bar thereof, as shown in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawing, and thence they continue downwardly at the front of the wearer in a downwardly slightly convergent relation, as shown at 43 and 44 in Figures 2 and 3. These breast straps 43 and 44 are extended slidably through suitable tunnels or loops 45 in the riser webs 32 and 33 of the harness at a. point above the lower end fixed connections 01 the straps 40 and 41. The end of each strap which thus passes through a loop 45 is extended horizontally across the back of the wearer' and provided with an adapter 41 threaded adjustably upon the other horizontal strap. Thus these portions are adjustably doubled upon each other so that the harness may be adapted to the girth of the wearer.

The straps 43 and 44 thus form by means of their connection with the adapters 31 and 38 and their lower connection through the tunnels or loops 45 in the riser webs, breast loops upon which are threaded coupling or i'astener parts 50' for release connection with the quick release fltting D or E the harness, as the case may be.

Les straps 50 and 51 are provided. They are formed by a strip of double webbing' which is spirally wound about the strap 3l and extended between the layers of said seat strap and stitched thereto as shown at 52 in the drawing; the straps 50 and l loosely extending for a greater length than leg straps of quick release harnesses heretoiore provided. The ends of the leg straps 50 and 51 are doubled upon each other in a loop arrangement which may be adjusted as to length by means of adapters 54. The ends of the said loop arrangement of the leg straps have coupling parts 50 for release connection with the quick release fltting D or E, as the case may be. It was above mentioned that the coupling parts 50 and 50 are releasably connected to the fltting or coupling D or E. In the preferred instance, however, one of these connecter parts 5II or 50 is permanently connected to one of the detents or members of the quick release fitting. The latter is preferably connected to the connector part 50 on the lett hand side of the harness, although this is purely optional. The leg straps 50 and 5l, as shown in Figure 3, are first extended at the inside of the riser web and then looped externally at the outer side of the riser web and brought up into position for connection -with the quick release fastening means. This arrangement enables the leg straps to be freely loosened from the body of the wearer upon release of the quick connecter fastener.

In the form et pack attached harness A, the pack F as before mentioned is attached to the seat strap 3l.. Heretofore this atachment was fixed and permanent, but in the present invention I provide tabs 53 which are permanentiy stitched at 6! at one end of each and at the other end is provided with flift the dot fastener 52. This lift the dot fastener 52 has the male portlon therof upon the free end of the tab 50 and the female portion thereof upon the upper fiap of a loop 84 in which the free end of the tab 60 is slipped. The dot of the lift the dot" fastener is 'remote from the seat strap 3! so that it can only be released by pulling the lift the dot fastener towards the seat strap. In other words a pull upon the seat pack away from the seat strap will not open the lift the dot fastener.

In the emergency pack harness B stifl'ened web and coupling supports are provided. They are provided with passageways therethrough, the axes of which are acute to each other. One of these passageways il receives the riser web 32 or 33, as the case may be. and the other passageway receives the upper portion cf the breast strap 43 or 44,. as the case may be. These supports 10 are slidable along the straps which they encompass and the webbing of the support (Il is suitably stifiened to hold the straps 32 and 44, or 33 and 43 in deflnite relation. Of course the supports 10 are provided with spring clips or members 15, as has been more adequately described in U. S. Patent #2,016,236 for releasably supporting the snap' fasteners or coupling parts 34 in position, so that the complementary coupling parts upon the emergency pack may be 'atta0hed thereto. The copling parts 34 are always heid in definitely spaced relation upon the harness and ready for emergency attachment at all times. On the harness B the loose ends of the suspension webs 32" and 33 are releasably held in suitable fabric keepei*s 80, at the shoulders of the wearer.

The single point release tpe of harness may be used with the type of quick release fitting shown in U. s. Patents #1,899,656 or #L842,611, or it may be of the improved type D or E shown in the drawing, and specifically deScribed in our co-pending divisional application Serial No. 192,872, filed February 26, 1938.

In the attached type of pack and harness, premature pulling of the rip cord has been occasioned due to the fixed connection of parts upon the harness. To prevent this a slidable pocket 200 is provided upon a riser web of the harness, whi ch may slide longitudinally thereon. The rip cord is suitably housed in a hollow flexible cable 20|, well known to the art. It has been eustomary to flx this cable upon some part of the harness. However, we provide a sleeve 203 which isstitched upon the harness and slidably receives the housing 20|, so that the housing 20| may slide through the sleeve as the rip cord pocket 200 slips along the riser web. This arrangement increases the safety factor in the use of parachute apparatus, particulrly where the latter is used by a number of persons of. varying stature. Il; guards against premature release of the parachute.

Various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be magie to the form of invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

We claim:

1. In a parachute harness the combination of body harness including riser webs, and pack coupling parts slidably movable*along the riser webs for releasable connection with a parachute pack.

2. In a parachute harness the combination'of body attaching straps including side strap portions, a parachute pack having a coupling part thereon. and a, complementary coupling for releasable connection with the coupling of the pack adjustably mounted upon a side strap of said parachute harness for sliding movement along said strap so that it may be located at a proper level to suit the stature of a wearer.

3. In parachute harness the combination of body attaching straps including side riser webs, and breast straps lying between said side riser webs, supporting means for maintaining the relativ position of the side riser webs with respect to said breast straps and movable longitudinally thereof, and parachute pack coupling means upon said supporting means.

4. In a parachute harnessthe combination of a. U-shaped supporting sling including side riser portions to which a parachute canopy if adapted to be connected, breast straps connected with the side riser portions at the vicinity of the shoulders of a wearer and extending to'the front of the wearer at a location between the side riser portions, independent leg strap means connected with the U-shaped sling to provide leg 100p openings and extending to the front of the wearer, a quick release fitting for releasably connecting the ends of thebreast straps and leg straps together at the front of the.wearer, and.parachute pack coupling supports adjustably mounted upon the side riser portions and breast straps at eaeh side of a wearer for movement longitudinally of the Wearer.

5. In parachute ap;aratus, a harness including straps and means for encasing them upon a wearer, a parachute pack attached to the hamess having a rip cord and a rip cord housing, a rip cord handle attached to said rip cord, retaining means iongitudinally slidable upon a strap of the harness for releasably supporting the rip cord handle, and means for slidably guiding the rrxovement of the rip cord housing and rip cord upon said strap of said hamess in complementary cooperative relation with respect to the movement of said handle retaining means.

6. In parachute harness the combination of a U-shaped supporting siing including aseat portien, side riser portions, and suspension webs connected at the upper ends of the latter terminating in parachute pack attaching coupling parts, back straps connected with the lower portions o! each of the side riser webs and extending in crossed relation to the shoulder vicinity of the side riser webs and thence extending forwardly and down wardly to provide breast straps at' the front of the wearer, adapters connected with the upper ends of the side riser webs and adjustably connecting the back straps with the side riser webs in a sliding adjustment and so that the back straps and breast straps may be relatively adjusted at said locations, ieg straps, coupling means for connecting the breast straps and. leg straps upon the wearer, slidable coupling supports connected with each of the side riser webs and the adjacent breast straps and slidable along the latter also to position the said supports at a desired 1evel, and means on said supports for releasably supporting the aforementioned coupling parts at the ends of the suspension webs in a definite position for pack attachment.

7. In parachute harness the combination of a U-shaped supporting siingincluding a scat and side riser webs, back strap means connected with said riser webs, breast straps connecte'd at the shoulder vicinity partions of said riser webs and thence extending downwardly and having releasable connection with the lower portions of the side riser webs, slidable supports upon each of the side riser webs slidably attached also to the adjacent respective breast straps and holding the htter in properly spaced relation with respect t the adjacent respective side riser webs, means on said support for attaching 9. pack thereto, Ieg straps, and coupling means for the leg and bre;,st straps.

GEORGE WAITE.

HAROLD G. ROGERS. 

